Amsterdam port’s dolphin follows sailing ship back to the sea

The dolphin next to the sailing ship on his way back to the ocean. Photo: Olaf Kraak ANP
The dolphin next to the sailing ship on his way back to the ocean. Photo: Olaf Kraak ANP

The dolphin which followed a sailing ship from the French coast to Amsterdam port has been successfully returned to the ocean, animal charity SOS Dolfijn has confirmed.

The bottle-nosed dolphin was led out of the harbour by the boat it had followed on Sunday evening, and then past the sluice gates at IJmuiden by two smaller vessels.

Earlier attempts to get the animal to leave on Saturday and Sunday failed and experts said the dolphin appeared to be very attached to the Tres Hombres, the sailing ship he had swum in with.

Now in coastal waters, ‘he is hanging around buoys in the harbour, but the main point is that he can reach open water,’ SOS Dolfijn said.

The dolphin, an adult, has been identified as Zafar, a dolphin which has been spotted on the coast of France in 2018 where it was observed to interact with divers.

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